Wounds That Heal
by Yazu Katara and Toph Attack
Summary: KaToph and Jezu. Got a problem? Then don't read this. Katara is a princess, Jet, her brother and her knight. Toph is a maid, Zuko, her brother and a cook. What happens when these two sibling pairs meet? [Toph]
1. She Won't Awake

Wounds That Heal

Chapter One: She Won't Awaken

The carriage was dark, but the young girl didn't notice. Her pale, blind eyes looked out at nothing as the carriage bumped and rocked. She didn't like the carriage because she couldn't tell where she was. Her senses could tell her everything, every sense except sight, but right now, she couldn't.

"Toph?" the boy sitting next to her asked.

"What, Zuko?" the girl answered.

Her brother, for that's who he was, smiled in her direction, weakly, at first, "I'm sorry about the carriage… but you know Sir Jet himself sent it…"

Toph shrugged, "I know, I know… he needs us pretty darn quick…"

Toph and Zuko, two of the best servants in the city, had packed up they're small apartment to work in the castle with the orphaned Sir Jet and Princess Katara. Toph was to tend to Katara while she recovered from her shock of seeing her whole family slaughtered, and Zuko was to cook. Everybody in the castle, except for Katara and Jet, of course, had been killed by trained assassins. The assassins had been killed by Sir Jet only at the last moment, but Katara had already fallen among all the blood. Sir Jet found her and checked her breathing, and sent her off to bed, where she's been since.

Since everyone else was killed, Sir Jet had hired Toph and Zuko to come and take the places of Head Cook and Head Maid, even though he wasn't hiring anyone else, for security reasons.

The carriage lurched to a stop, and the carriage driver opened the door for them. Even in her tattered green dress and apron, Toph felt like royalty. Zuko followed his sister and smiled, he could really get used to this.

They climbed up the big steps and over the moat into the outer wall. A few minutes later they went into the servant house and set what was left of their belongings. "Sir Jet wants you upstairs as soon as you're settled," the carriage driver said, leaving.

Zuko looked around the room. It was a nice little kitchen with a cutting table in the middle of the room, close to sinks and stove-tops and the oven. Over on the other side of the kitchen was a sort of servant's table for him and his sister to eat when they weren't serving the Princess or Sir Jet.

In a little room off to the side was a small room with two cots. It was here that Toph set down her rucksack and sat for a while, tapping her feet to 'see' around the room. Zuko set his stuff down on the cot next to her. He then smoothed out his tattered brown pants in hopes it could look okay.

Toph stretched out her feet and stood, taking Zuko's hand and pulling him out of the small room and up the stairs.

"Ah! Zuko and Toph!" Sir Jet said, smiling when they reached the top of the stairs. He looked at their clothes with a slight contempt, and then shoved some boxes in Zuko's arms.

"Your… clothes… should be taken off and burned, and you should wear what's in the boxes, for now. Zuko, please make some sort of soup for, my sister--I mean--the Princess… and I would just like some pasta with meat sauce. Toph, you can bring them up to me and I will show you where the Princess' room is. But please, take your time with dinner… my sister hardly eats anymore. Oh, and feel free to wander about afterwards!"

Zuko bowed, and Toph curtsied. Both turned straight around and walked back downstairs.

"A green, very fancy dress for you, little sister," Zuko said, handing Toph the garment. She felt around it for a picture.

It was a long, green dress, with quarter length sleeves that reached the middle of her forearm, at least. The neck would stretch across her shoulders, showing them off just a little. There was a knitted shawl that came with it, and as Toph undressed and put on the dress, she found that even on this rainy spring afternoon, she would have to wear it.

Zuko, on the other hand, was now wearing a newer version of his old, tattered tan-and-green pants and tunic suit, complete with an apron. The sibling pair looked at each other and laughed.

"Man, this is going to one weird job…" Zuko said, smiling.

"Better get the food ready… or Sir Jet might have to come down here and whip you into shape!" Toph said, pushing Zuko into the kitchen. He laughed and went to the cutting board to cut up carrots and Toph herself went to boil water for the pasta.

"Sir Jet?" Toph asked, a tray in her hands.

"Ah! You look very beautiful in that dress… Princess Katara's room is this way," Jet replied, clapping his hands over his mouth first, and then placing one hand on her shoulder and the other out-stretched, leading her toward one of the grand hallways.

"The soup looks good… where's my pasta?" Jet continued.

"Your pasta is downstairs with Zuko, you can get it yourself, I'm sure," Toph replied haughtily, "I am PRINCESS KATARA'S maid, not yours."

Jet gasped, taken aback, "I'm… I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Ms. Toph…"

Toph smiled up at him, "You passed my test, Sir Jet… friends?"

He smiled and touched her hand in confirmation, "So my food is down with Zuko?"

Toph nodded, "You might want to keep him company while I'm trying to feed the Princess…" she suggested.

Jet coughed with a flustered air, and Toph noticed, but shrugged it off, "Certainly, Ms. Toph."

He opened a big door for her and she walked in. Tapping her foot to the cold marble floor, she 'saw' this was indeed the Princess' room. It was very small, with a wide window with blue curtains. The bed was in a little carved in nook area, and next to it was a small, blue vanity. The Princess herself lay under blue and white blankets in her bed, her brown hair feathered out all around her. She looked peaceful, but even in her sleep she had been crying.

Jet smoothed down her hair and kissed her on the forehead, "Get well soon, my sister…" he looked at Toph, who had set down the soup on the small bedside table and turned on the lamp.

She turned to him and punched him on his arm, "That's for calling me 'Ms.' Toph… just Toph will suffice."

He rubbed the spot where she hit him, "Well, Just Toph—"

She hit him again.

"Feisty little thing, aren't you?" Jet asked, rubbing the same spot.

"Just go… I think more that one person with the Princess is a little stressful, even when she sleeps," Toph replied, a laugh erupting from her blind eyes.

Jet nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Toph 'looked' over at the sleeping Princess. She walked slowly over and stared blindly at the brown-haired girl.

"Princess? Princess Katara?" she finally said, tapping her lightly on the collarbone. Nothing. Toph shrugged and walked out, leaving the soup on the tray. She would pick it up in an hour, whether the Princess ate it or not.


	2. As A Brother I Say Right On

Wounds That Heal

NOTE: I understand you all have questions, but keep in mind that as you read, my choices will become clear.

Chapter Two: As A Brother, I Say, "Right On."

Toph joined her brother and Sir Jet downstairs. Zuko looked up from his piece of meat and gestured to her to sit down in front of some sort of potato and some toast.

"So?" Zuko asked when Toph was seated.

"She's not awake," Toph replied, cutting into the potato.

"That's a surprise," Jet muttered, stabbing into his pasta.

Toph and Zuko ignored this and continued eating. Finally, Zuko looked up from his empty plate and into Jet's awaiting eyes, "What happened, really, to make her like this?"

Jet swallowed hard and looked down at his own empty plate, Zuko's golden eyes staring into his own was… chilling. He breathed out slowly and began his tale:

"Two weeks ago my father's brother, our Uncle Ozai, attacked us… didn't everyone hear?" Jet grumbled.

"And Princess Katara watched the entire family die, yes, but why did he do that?" Toph asked, finishing her potato.

Jet closed his eyes and breathed in, remembering the terrible details, "All right, all right. Before Katara and my younger brother, Sokka, and my younger triplet siblings, Sakura 'Smellerbee', Aang and Sasuke 'Longshot', were born, my father, Hakoda, became king because he was the purest, even if he was the youngest. Uncle Ozai was of course jealous, and so he went into hiding. I was only three at the time, and Sokka was in our mother's womb still… at about four months. After all the children were born, and most of us grown, he came out of hiding and threatened us to move out of the castle or we would die. Father believed none of the threats were real, and then… and then we were ambushed by his assassins. I managed to get in there before they took Katara's life… but… I was too late for any of the others. I managed to kill Ozai himself after he killed Father personally… When I came back, Katara was lying next to our brother Aang, her heart still beating. I looked around, and saw that everybody, even the maids and cooks, was dead. I called the doctors, and they cleared out the place, and we cleaned up… and they tended to Katara, but she hasn't… awaken."

Zuko and Toph stayed calm as Jet began to sob. Zuko, looking over at Toph, finally stood and walked over to his chair, placing a firm hand on Jet's hand. Jet looked up at him quickly, then continued staring down at the wooden table in front of him.

"Your sister is still breathing, Sir Jet," Toph said quietly.

"Would this be a bad time to ask why you are a knight, and not a prince?" Zuko asked.

Jet chuckled through his wet face and dabbed at his eyes with a gloved hand. "After that night, when our family died, I decided to continue my knight's training that I had started when I was ten. When I was ten I wanted nothing more that to be an arrogant prince… and seven years later, I wanted nothing more that to save my sister's life."

Zuko let go of his hand and helped him up, "Do want help going to your room, Sir?"

Jet shook his head, "Thank you for coming on such short notice… and thank you for dinner."

"No problem," Toph replied, smiling for the fist time in front of him. Jet stared at her, then moved to Zuko. His eyes lingered for a moment, and then he left.

"At least the princess is still awake…" Toph said, her eyes staring blankly after Katara's brother.

"Did something happen between you and the Princess?" Zuko teased.

Toph did a high-voiced mockery while flapping her hand like a mouth and punched her brother lightly, still smiling.

"Ow! I'm being serious! At dinner you seemed distant…" Zuko replied, laughing before becoming very serious.

"She's asleep, Zuko, what could've happened between us?" Toph asked, turning around to hide a small blush that was creeping up. She turned back to the stairwell and yelled, "I'm going to grab her dishes…"

"Okay… if she wakes up, giving a big smooch… for yourself!" Zuko yelled back. Toph could hear him sniggering. So what is she had a small crush on Katara already… it wasn't like she hadn't seen Jet and Zuko's moment, either.

She followed her senses to where Jet had shown her earlier and opened the door to Katara's room. The soup bowl was… empty?

She gasped as Katara stared at her from the bed. She was sitting up, alert and ready, but a little weak.

"Princess… Katara?" Toph asked, stopped dead in her tracks.

"Mmm…" Katara replied, smiling, "That was good… my compliments to the cook!"

"Princess! How are you feeling, my sister!" Jet asked, taking her hand.

"I'm fine… and who are these two? Our only staff?" Katara asked.

"I'm Toph and this is my brother, Zuko, we're your head Cook and head Maid," Toph replied quickly, "are you still hungry? Thirsty, maybe?"

Zuko looked sideways at her and smiled, picking up another bowl of soup, a piece of bread, and a glass of wine from the floor where he had placed it earlier.

"You're still weak, sister," Jet replied. Zuko set the tray on Katara's lap and she smiled wider.

"Thank you, all of you… but I only need one person to stay with me… I'm afraid I'm getting a headache from all this… whatever it is…" Katara replied, looking up at Jet.

Jet smiled, "I… I'm sorry I cannot stay… I have some things to attend to… royal affairs and a letter to the girls down at the paper telling them you're awake, Katara."

He kissed the top of her head, and left the room.

"I'll stay," Toph said, handing her brother the empty bowl.

Zuko took her aside, "As a cook, I say don't fall in love with your mistress."

Toph groaned and slapped her forehead with her palm, Zuko grabbed her hand and steadied her shaking wrist, "But as a brother, I say right on."

He looked at her and smiled, and she smiled back, "Yeah… thanks. But I won't fall in love with her so easily."

Zuko shrugged, "And I won't fall so easily in love with Jet, then."

The shook hands.

"YOU"RE ON!"


	3. Some Answers

Wounds That Heal

Chapter Three: Some Answers

Katara sat and stared at Toph, who sat in the chair by her vanity, twiddling her fingers and staring blindly at a spot on Katara's bedspread.

"You're eyes are a lovely green," Katara said.

"Thank you, mistress." Toph replied vaguely.

"Was it on your mother's or father's side that got that lovely colour?" Katara asked.

"Mom had the color… but it was darker…" Toph replied, again, vaguely.

"So how did it—"

"I'm blind."

Katara gasped slightly, "It… it doesn't look like you could be…"

"Father trained me and Zuko as if I wasn't disabled. I learned to listen and feel through stone and other Earthly elements," Toph talked in a smooth monotone, hardly rising above or below it.

Katara looked down at Toph's feet, which were still bare. She noticed Zuko hadn't worn shoes either. Jet had been wearing slippers when Toph had roused him from his work.

"I'm sorry if I have offended you," Katara said quietly.

"Apology excepted, mistress."

"Call me Katara, please."

"I will call you by your name if you do the same for me," Toph replied, calmly.

"Okay… Toph."

Toph smiled and knelt beside the bed, "Do you want anything more?"

"No thank you. The food is lovely, I really appreciate it. So… what happened to your parents?"

"Two years ago, when I was ten, and Zuko fifteen, he and I were playing with the neighbor kids, Sneers, the Duke, and Pipsqueak, when we heard the other neighbors, including Sneers' mother, the Duke's aunt, and Pipsqueak's grandmother, screaming at the top of their lungs. We ran to investigate and found Da's body impaled in front of our house. He was a famous general who had helped us win against the Land of One Thousand Dragons… well, Ma couldn't handle him not being around that the next chance she got she decided to throw herself off the bridge. Zuko and I have been working ever since…" Toph explained.

Katara gasped and threw her arms around the younger girl, "I'm so sorry! That is more terrible than OUR parents dying!"

"No, Katara, you certainly take the cake…"

"But you were so much younger than me! I was still my age now two months ago, and you were only ten!" Katara exclaimed.

Toph shrugged and wiggled out of the Princess' grasp, "It's all right. We're here now, and this is our home. The house will forever be Sneers'… he earned it."

"Did he pay for it?" Katara asked.

"Naw… he saved me from drowning in the river. Since I'm blind, I can't really swim that well… so he jumped in and managed to drag me back to where Zuko was on the bank. Zuko promised him the house when we moved out. That was two weeks ago," Toph replied, smiling.

Katara nodded, "Well, it's November now… I can teach you how to swim in Spring… I'll certainly be stronger then," she smiled.

Toph nodded, "You can try."

Katara finally finished her second meal and handed the trays to Toph. Toph nodded her goodbye and walked quietly out of the room. It was now dark outside, and Toph just wanted to go to bed and process everything about that that day. So much HAD happened, and she wanted to make meaning of it.

She would never really get used to this job.


End file.
